The Ice Warrior

Chapter 27

Upon saying goodbye to Joe, Jamie, and the little bundle of energy that was Jack, the group headed south. Silv and Justin were leading the way while Wir Eis, Arthur, and Rose followed close behind. It was Rose's choice to leave the navigation to the younger generation. However, after some time it became debatable if that was a good idea.

It was clear to anyone who saw them that it wasn't an easy alliance between Silv and Justin, but it was also a necessary one. They had to learn to work together if they were to safely reach the base and Wir Eis's ship. Still, there was an uncomfortable atmosphere that even the alien could feel.

Seeing that Arthur was the only one unaffected by the odd mood, Wir Eis inched his way towards him.

"What this?" Wir Eis asked, gesturing in the direction of Silv and Justin.

"That, my alien friend, is human stubbornness. It has been known to move mountains and change fates. It's stronger than any other power in the universe." Arthur said theatrically.

"That strong power." Wir Eis said, sounding impressed.

"No, Wir Eis, Arthur is exaggerating. What he means to say is that it's a powerful human emotion, something similar to persistence. However, it has been known to lead people to great victories but gruesome deaths as well. On its own, it is not a power, but it can motivate people to do great things." Rose said, coming to walk between the AI and the alien.

"We safe?" Wir Eis asked worriedly, not fully understanding the strange range of human emotions.

"They'll work it out," Rose said, not sounding too convinced herself.

"Doesn't my lady wish to set them straight?" Arthur asked.

"No, my dear. Silv and Justin need to work it out by themselves. Besides, neither one of them would do anything to put us in danger. They'll find a way to work together." Rose said.

"Rose sure?" Wir Eis asked.

"Yes, don't worry about it. After all, we are talking about two rational adults." Rose said unconvinced, but hopeful.

"Know-it-all says that we are close to the border checkpoint and that we should hide for a while until the guy takes his lunch break. It should be in a few minutes, that is, if he didn't get it wrong." Silv said bitterly.

"Alright then," Rose said as they moved into a small dark alley.

"Oh, and Silv, why are you being so hard on Justin? He is a good boy, you know? Can't you just try to find a common language with him?" Rose couldn't help but ask.

Silv, on her part, wasn't sure what it was about Justin specifically that irritated her. All she knew was that she was feeling exhausted, and everyone around her was telling her what to do. Justin was just the last one to do so, and it caused all her anger to crush down upon him like an avalanche.

To her utter surprise, she realized that she was eager for them to reach Wir Eis's ship. It was the only place where she had managed to feel even semblance of peace since the whole ordeal had started for her. The spaceship seemed to understand her better than most of her companions.

"I guess I just don't like presumptuous people who think they know everything. It feels like his overconfidence can get us in trouble. One has to be aware of one's limitations, after all." Silv said.

"What if someone does know everything?" Arthur asked cautiously.

"Arthur, I was talking about humans. I don't mind it when the AIs think they know everything because they usually do." Silv said, smiling at Arthur, who was at one time more like her babysitter than an AI.

Arthur was relieved by her statement and went on to chat with Wir Eis, starving for the knowledge that an alien could offer him. It was the type of knowledge that no human could provide him with, much bigger than anything they could comprehend.

"Silv, my dear, did it ever occur to you that Justin is trying to appear more confident than he is?" Rose asked, curious to see how observant her granddaughter was.

"No, why would he do that?" Silv asked, confused.

"He might be intimidated by you," Rose said.

"By me?" Silv asked, her voice rising in surprise.

"Yes, you are a strong, intelligent woman, and perhaps he is only trying to keep up with your brilliance. Give him a chance, will you?" Rose asked.

Silv was confused by the revelation but also pleased that someone would see the strength in her hour of weakness. It was empowering, and she felt the need to reciprocate in some way. Giving him a chance seemed like a great way to do so.

"I will. I promise." Silv said.

A few more minutes passed, filled only with Arthur and Wir Eis's silent chatter, that Silv couldn't follow, before Justin was back to tell them they had to move.

Sneaking up behind houses and any objects big enough to hide, they crossed the border without any issues. They didn't even see the guard anywhere, and Rose wondered what was important enough to leave any border unguarded.

Once outside the sector and into the blasting cold of the winter day, they continued moving towards the mountains. Their weapons were drawn as they were vigilant about their safety. None of them could afford to take Joe's words about the danger of the wild animals lightly.

Only Wir Eis had refused to carry any human weapons, but Silv didn't worry about him. He could take care of anything the mountains might be hiding with his bare hands.

"When do we start circling back?" Rose asked Justin, unsure of their precise position.

"Shh, do you hear that?" Justin asked quietly, stopping in his track and turning around in an attempt to determine the origin of the sound.

"I don't hear..." Silv started to say but stopped since she was finally able to detect what he was talking about.

A thump of feet could be heard approaching them. They sounded large, yet they couldn't see anything but the blinding purity of snow-covered ground.

Suddenly, what they thought of as an enormous pile of snow, became distinguishable as what it actually was, a polar bear.

"Should we run?" Silv asked Justin quietly.

"No, we can't outrun it. It's curious, and it's approaching fast. Grandpa says that in the past, you could scare them away by shouting or making other loud noises. We'll try that first. They've suffered enough because of the humans as it is. However, be ready to shoot since, these days, they aren't easily scared off." Justin said calmly.

They did as they were told, shouting at the top of their voices and hitting any metal objects they had. Yet, nothing seemed to deter the polar bear.

That was when it charged at them.